Coming Up ..... Friday 17th October
Punk_Rock_Soul

Coldrice presents Black Diamond Heavies + The Solomons + Coldrice DJ’s playing Rock’n’Roll, Punk, Blues, Garage, Trash & 60’s Soul

The Black Diamond Heavies:
The Black Diamond Heavies hail from the southern States of America but spend most of their time in a blue Van or a white van unleashing their punk-ass bues all over the world "This Tennessee-Hailing Duo have produced a debut of filthy Southern blues that makes the Black Keys seem like choirboys" --NME . . . "the Heavies like to keep things as raw and ground-up as dirt - drums with a trashcan rattle that sound huge and far away (like they were recorded in a wide-open space down the street) and overdriven Fender Rhodes. That’s all there is to it, but then again, there’s so much more." --Phoenix New Times . . . "Gospel-blues-punk preacher-isers John Wesley Myers and Van Campbell baptise you in beatific raptures of Hammond, Rhodes and Drums, literally stripping the sound down to its scantily-clad soul. Almost too perfectly Myers is the literal son of a (Baptist) preacher man, whereas Campbell descends from a Bourbon-distilling family. As it is, you can absolutely bloody tell too, such is the whiskey-swilling testifying herein. Voodoo shuffles its sinicious way through..." "... swigging, swaggering and setting the VU meters swinging right through the red like a shamans trance-eyes for the entire ceremony till the closing corpse-raising broadsides you with it’s mutant Tina Turner chicken-dancing on a Motown mamba mantra. Funky cactus-caressed wagon-train blues...." "... aren’t so much like Canned Heat as they heat yer can, violate viscera and turn your pupils to pulp direct from the pulpit. "...draped in ditch-dirt and paying the tab at the Devils Inn with small change from the confession box, while swabbing woulds with sandpaper." -- Stu Gibson

Venue: Barfly Dragon Bar, 78 Digbeth High Street, B5 6DY
Time: 9pm - Late
Cost: £6
Links:
http://www.myspace.com/coldriceunderground
http://www.myspace.com/blackdiamondheavies
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=98238258 (solomans)

Coming Up ..... Friday 17th October
Indie_Punk_New Wave_Electro

Chicks Dig Jerks / Tight Fit present Hawnay Troof + Mirror! Mirror! + You Love Her Coz She’s Dead….!!

Venue: The Sunflower Lounge, 76 Smallbrook Queensway, B5 4EG
Time: 8pm
Cost: £4
Links:
http://www.myspace.com/chicksdigjerks
http://www.myspace.com/hawnaytroof
http://www.myspace.com/youlovehercozshesdead

Coming Up ..... Friday 17th October
Live Electronica

Robot vs Dinosaur present Line + Cyan341 + Kone-R (DJ Set) plus DJs playing the likes of Aphex Twin, Battles, Matmos, The Postal Service, Amon Tobin & Venetian Snares

Venue: The Island Bar, Suffolk Street, Queensway, B1 1LT
Time: 8.30pm – Late
Cost: £3 Entry, £1 if dressed like a robot or a dinosaur
Links:
http://www.myspace.com/robotversusdinosaur
http://www.robotvsdinosaur.co.uk/

Coming Up ..... Friday 3rd October
Jazz_Nu-Jazz_Soul

Birmingham Jazz and Resonance Events present The Heritage Orchestra featuring Lizzy Parks.

The Heritage Orchestra performing the music of Amon Tobin
Lizzy Parks Album Launch (Tru Thoughts)
DJ Cro & special guests
Visuals by Chromatouch

Lizzy Parks: (from her myspace)
If its an in depth explanation of my life and career so far you'd better catch me after a gig with a big bottle of gin! ...but for those of you without the time or inclination, the basics goes like this...im a Devon lass whose lived and loved music for as long as I can remember. Tooting the clarinet and saxophone from the age of 7 gave me my thirst for jazz, then after discovering my voice with the school big band during a rendition of 'Skylark' aged 11 there was no stopping me! I went on to study music in all sorts of places from clubs to conservatoires and got my first taste of session work with Chris Bowden, performing 'Crockers and Killers' on his 'Slightly askew' album for Ninja Tuneback in 2001. After recording for various other artists I released my debut album 'WATCHING SPACE' in 2005 with an indie label 'The Birds'. Since then i've become part of the 'TRU THOUGHTS' family with whom i'm about to release my spankingly new, exciting and ecclectic album 'RAISE THE ROOF', co-written and produced with bass player Riaan Vosloo and 'NOSTALGIA 77's' Ben Lamdin, due for release Sept 22nd 2008. I can mostly be found gigging in dens and dives all over the UK and Europe! I've got a habit of appearing on stage with 'NOSTALGIA 77' (Tru Thoughts) and 'THE HERITAGE ORCHESTRA' (Brownswood) amoungst others. ...a jazzy lassy? a soulful bird? Call it what you like...lets just hope you like it! the end...or maybe its just the start!?! LP x For the official story visit www.lizzyparks.co.uk

Venue: The Town Hall Birmingham, Victoria Square
Time: 8pm
Cost: £15
Links:
http://www.myspace.com/birminghamjazz2007
http://www.myspace.com/resonanceevents
http://www.myspace.com/lizzyparksmusic

Coming Up ..... Friday 3rd October
Good Tunes and Classics

Maz of Chicks Dig Jerks is DJing at The Sunflower Lounge

Venue: The Sunflower Lounge, 76 Smallbrook Queensway, B5 4EG
Time: 8pm
Cost: £FREE
Links:
http://www.myspace.com/chicksdigjerks

Coming Up ..... Friday 3rd October
Indie_New Wave_Rock_Alt.

TROPICAL HOTDOG is a shindig brought to you by SUNSET CINEMA CLUB. On the first Friday of every month we take over the upstairs room at Birmingham's award winning ISLAND COCKTAIL BAR to throw a sexy-party for geeks like ourselves. For each shindig we collect together the bands we already love, the awesome new bands we keep discovering on our travels, and throw in a daddy cool 80s-90s disco at the end for good measure.

We dont care what band you've come to see, or what you think of the night, we just want you to PARRDEEE and CHUG CHUG CHUG your way into oblivion...

So come on down and see what the fuss is about...

Some of the bands that have played so far include:

4 OR 5 MAGICIANS // ACE BUSHY STRIPTEASE // BARRY'S ATTIC // BOURGEOIS FOUR // CALORIES // DEAD WORLD LEADERS // DR GONZO // ELLE S'APPELLE // FALLING & LAUGHING // GENTLE, FRIENDLY // GOFASTER>> // THE GRAVITY CRISIS // HERO MACHINE // HOWLING S. BRABAZON // INSTRUMENTS // JOHNNY FOERIGNER // LITTLE DIPPER // MAYDAY // MISS HALLIWELL // PETE HEYWOOD // PICTURES OF YOU // PUZZLE // SABOTAGE LEFT // SHANA TOVA // SHOCKED ELEVATOR FAMILY // SUNSET CINEMA

Venue: The Island Bar, 14-16 Suffolk Street (Next to the Alexandra Theatre), B1 1LT
Time: 8pm
Cost: £3

Links:
http://www.myspace.com/showagojira

Coming Up ..... Friday 19th September
Electronica_Experimental_Progressive



Robot Vs Dinosaur will be back at Island on Friday September 19th. Sounding a little like Autechre and Mouse On Mars after having been smashed together at 99.99% of the speed of light, Brum’s own Jade One will be bringing his unique brand of mangled abstract techno to the party plus we’ll also have a repeat performance from Mancunian laptoptronicist QXTC, of whom the elephant-minded amongst you may remember kicking off the proceedings at our very first night back in Feb- has it really been so long?
And as per usual DJs will be playing the likes of aphex twin, autechre, battles, the books, broadcast, ceephax acid crew, chris clark, cornelius, cylob, dntel, the flashbulb, four tet, germlin, holy fuck, matmos, max tundra, mouse on mars, the notwist, OOO, plone, polysics, polygon window, the postal service, prefuse 73, pulseprogramming, ulrich schnauss, squarepusher, stereolab, amon tobin, to rococco rot, tortoise, venetian snares, luke vibert, xiu xiu, susumu yokota and whatever else we can find knocking about in the dark corners of our hard discs.

Venue: The Island Bar, 14-16 Suffolk Street (Next to the Alexandra Theatre), B1 1LT
Time: 8pm
Cost: £3 or £1 if dressed like a robot or a dinosaur
Links:
http://www.myspace.com/jadeone
http://www.myspace.com/robotversusdinosaur
http://www.myspace.com/namemequixotic

Coming Up ..... Friday 19th September
Indie_Punk_Alternative_New Wave



Chicks Dig Jerks present Tight Fit with Televised Crimewave +Untitled Musical Project + Teeth + DJ sets from Chicks Dig Jerks + Mirror! Mirror!

Untitled Musical Project:

When it comes to mixing brain and brawn, Untitled Musical Project are in a deafening league of their own. Nice." - NME
"This freshfaced threesome bring you punk in its original, snotty form, smartened up and spat back into your grotty parents faces. Let them show you their land of wicked temptation, just dont expect to ever want to come back." - Drowned In Sound
"I'm happy to give Untitled Musical Project the title of My Favourite New Noisesome British band." - Play Louder
"You want noise? Energy? Electricity? Untitled Musical Project are almost without doubt the most exciting live prospect in the country right now, and have them all in abundance." - Art Rocker
"Best live band of the last 12 months then?" - Play Music
"It's not often you come across a band that can combine a punk aesthetic with cutting Widean-esque insight. Untitled Musical Project make it look effortless." - The Stool Pigeon
"Untitled Musical project offers some of the best stripped bare, no nonsense three piece action weve heard in some time." - Ozbeat Music

Venue: The Sunflower Lounge, 76 Smallbrook Queensway, B5 4EG
Time: 8pm
Cost: £4
Links:
http://www.myspace.com/chicksdigjerks
http://www.myspace.com/televisedcrimewaveuk
http://www.myspace.com/untitledmusicalproject

Coming Up ..... Friday 19th September
Rock_Indie_Alternative



444 Club presents Electric Animals + This Love Affair +The Filthy Habits _The Lucky 27’s

…and afterwards it’s the last ever Tuck Shop between 11pm – 4am

This Love Affair:
THIS LOVE AFFAIR are: Lee Weston (singer/guitar), Jayme Tovey(drummer/backing vocals), Daniel Tovey (guitar/backing vocals) and Andrew La Touche (bass). The quartet formed in 2005 when Lee and Andrew’s, and Jayme and Daniel’s previous bands, ‘8 Days Late’ and ‘McAlister’, respectively, disbanded.

With a new name and bolstered new image courtesy of stylish photography from NME photographer Dean Chalkley, the band’s re-launch as ‘This Love Affair’ is in full swing.

Fresh from these new beginnings comes their stunning new EP, ‘For The Greater Good’, a collection of epic standing on the edge of the world sized pop gems, formulated amidst swirling guitars and ethereal vocals.

From the hard hitting, anthemic opener ‘Brothers & Sisters’, through to the EP’s brooding closer ‘Vultures’, the lyrical content of all four tracks displays the considered maturity of the band’s heroes, who they cite as ranging from Radiohead to Paul Simon.

Whilst a political conscience is evident in track ‘Brothers and Sisters’, it is not an angle the band peruse relentlessly, and it is a broader consideration for human relationships that is the overriding theme of the four tracks. ‘She’s My Enemy’ is a tongue in cheek account of a relationship’s intricacies and the penultimate track ‘Turn the Page’ is the embittered account of love lost.

Venue: The Rainbow Pub, Digbeth High Street, B12 0LD
Time: 8pm – 4am
Links:
http://www.myspace.com/kamikazeevents
http://www.myspace.com/electricanimalsmyspace
http://www.myspace.com/thisloveaffaironline
http://www.myspace.com/tuckshopbirmingham

Coming Up ..... Saturday 6th September
Indie_Garage_Hip Hop_Garage_Electro



Bigger than Barry present the Back to School Disco featuring Tapedeck + Rattus Rattus + Obvious + Tuck Shop + Mirror! Mirror! (DJ Set) + Lenny & Smile + Deptford Noise Team

Venue: Venue: The Rainbow Warehouse, Adderley Street, Digbeth
Cost: £8 adv
Links:
http://www.biggerthanbarry.com/
http://www.myspace.com/biggerthanbarry
http://www.myspace.com/tapedeckdjs
http://www.myspace.com/djrattusrattus

Coming Up ..... Saturday 6th September
Indie_Electronica

Chicks Dig Jerks are DJing for Discomendments.

Venue: The Red Baboon (opposite the Actress and Bishop)
Time: 8pm
Links:
http://www.myspace.com/chicksdigjerks
http://www.myspace.com/discomendments

Coming Up ..... Saturday 6th September
DJ Comp

D-Joust (European DJ Competition)

The D-Joust European DJ Competition – Europe's finest breakthrough DJ talent touch down at a venue near YOU for some awesome LIVE battles.

Don’t miss a beat of the action – There are 6 ferocious regional quarter final battles taking place in London, Birmingham and Antwerp… The quality of DJs entering this year has been sublime. Those lucky enough to get to a live contest are in for an awesome blend of DJ talents and a carnival atmosphere.

The Midlands heats will be held at the renowned Custard Factory, Gibb Street, Birmingham, B9 4AA. There will be 2 heats, number of DJs in each heat TBC. Kindly running things for us in the Midlands is DJ RCaine.


Venue: Custard Factory, Gibb Street, Birmingham, B9 4AA
Time: 6pm
Links:
http://www.myspace.com/custardfactory
http://www.djoust.com/Web/DJoust/Index.aspx

Coming Up ..... Saturday 30th August
Indie_Rock_Post Punk

Platform Promotions present Geometrics + The Rough Charm + The Heyes + The Sculptors

Venue: The Spotted Dog, 104 Warwick Street, Digbeth, B12 0NH
Time: 8pm
Cost: (Usaully) £4 / £3
Links:
http://www.myspace.com/geometricsband
http://www.myspace.com/theroughcharm
http://www.myspace.com/theheys
http://www.myspace.com/sculptorsband

Coming Up ..... Saturday 30th August
Indie_Electro_Alternative_Classics

Chicks Dig Jerks vs. Tuckshop Beach Party with DJ sets from Skull Juice + Chicks Dig Jerks + Ben & Ryan (Tuck Shop/Stop Scratching) + Race Riot + No Pain in Pop

Skull Juice: (from their Myspace)

Skull Juice are Alex & Ben, a dual headed DJ tag team mascarading behind the name of a rubbish Heavy Metal band. "We are totally metal though" they proclaim, simultaneously decapitating a family of bats, "But just because the power of the Gods of Metal beats like molten Iron through our veins, doesn't mean we can't like Disco more than a room full of leather clad Bears doing Gloria Gaynor impressions", and to reinforce the point, they gesture downwards and I notice for the first time they are both dressed in Identical John Travolta 'Saturday Night Fever' suits covered in tiny, tiny bells. So, I postulate, Skull Juice are a record-playing duo of extreme contrast then? "Not really, I mean you aren't actually likely to find us playing Heavy Metal, followed by a Disco record, we haven't quite broken away from the traditional DJ format of attempting to meld the greatest records you've (n)ever heard into a seamless DJ set that will send your brain into outer space to dance with the ghosts of Sun Ra, Ron Hardy & Armando through sheer exuberant Dance Joy." They both speak at the same time, voices sounding at once like Nina Simone & DJ Assault, Prince & that drunk bloke from Noze. And as they speak, I notice they are tapping out a perfect techno rhythm on the table at which we sit, as if reading my mind they instantly confess to a love of the genre "It's not a genre" they proclaim, standing and raising their voices to the sky (while continuing to beat out the rhythmic pattern on their chests), "It's a way of life, an all pervading and encompasing mindset upon which all other coherent thought must be based!" And with that they were away, concealed rocket boosters in their shoes activating and blasting them swiftly into the stratosphere, as they departing cries faded into the ether I caught their last few words; "Sorry mate, we're late for tea with Jeff Mills..." and with that they were gone.

Venue: The Rainbow Beach, High Street, Digbeth, B12 0LD
Time: Doors 9pm
Cost: £5
Links:
www.myspace.com/chicksdigjerks
www.myspace.com/tuckshopbirmingham
http://www.myspace.com/skulljuice

Coming Up ..... Saturday 19th July
Indie_Electro_WTF...a Disco Boat?!!



Chicks Dig Jerks presents Hott Date Disco Boat + Beach Party!!

This needs some explaining:

The Hott Date crew have got their finger out for a special one off Disco Boat throw down in a secret Location, all you got to do is grab a ticket and turn up at The Rainbow where a bus will drive you and your crew to the disco boat location, then you’ll all get shipwrecked but still manage to make it home in time for the Hottdate beach party at the Rainbow Warehouse.

Guests: Casper C + Discomendments + Miss Odd Kidd plus the regular Hott Date DJ’s (Adam Adam + Chicks Dig Jerks + Jonny Costello + Chris Tache + Pete & Jon ( Tussle / Death at the Disco) + New Scotland Yard + Mosco::Disco + Bang! Bang! + Naked Lunch + Dangerous DAVE Molloy + Ben & Ryan (Tuck Shop, Stop Scratching))

Venue: The Rainbow Warehouse, Digbeth & The Secret Disco Boat (Secret Location)
Time: 12pm – 5pm (Disco Boat) 7pm – 3am (Beach Party)
Cost: £20 (Disco Boat inc FREE entry to Beach Party), £5 for just the Beach Party
Links:
www.myspace.com/hott_date

Coming Up ..... Saturday 19th July
Drum n Bass_Old Skool_Dubstep_Reggae




Urban Disturbance presents...

A Cheap and Cheerful affair for those not on holiday or at Glade Festival.

DJ's Spinning DnB, OldSkool, Dubstep & Reggae include...
Pace
Reaction
Phibes
Boogie Dave b2b Boglet
Grom Grom the Grubit

Venue: The Hare and Hounds, High Street, Kings Heath
Time: 9pm - Late
Cost: £2
Links:
http://www.myspace.com/urbandisturbanceuk

Coming Up ..... Saturday 19th July
House_Disco_Grooves



Drop Out Boogie – MarkE & RobJ’s bi-monthly dose of all thing DISCO hits Moslely Village this summer. Whether it be full on disco stormers, deep house groovers or Balearic bouncers these guys know their shit!!

Venue: The Bulls Head, 23 St Marys Row, Moseley
Time: 8pm
Links:
http://www.myspace.com/dropoutboogienights
http://www.myspace.com/mark_e_jisco
http://www.bullsheadmoseley.co.uk/

Coming Up ..... Saturday 21st June
Experimental_Shoegaze_Alternative_Psyche

Sound of Confusion presents The Insect Guide + Delta Mainline + Model Morning + The Dogfight Revolution

From the Insect Guide myspace:

2007 saw Uncut name ’6ft In Love’ as one of its "debut albums of the month", our version of Dinosaur Jrs ’Freak Scene’ was described by the NME as "an amazing cover, slowed down and pumped full of mogadon", Steve Lamacq regularly played ’Liline’ on his Radio 6 show and while all this was going on we planned our first release of 2008....

Sonic Boom, leader of Spacemen 3 and Spectrum has remixed 2 tracks from our debut album. Fresh from co-writing and mixing with Dean & Britta, Fuxa, Magnetophone and the legendary Jim Dickinson (Big Star/Dylan), Sonic turns his sublime and distinctive style to Insect Guide. You can buy it here from Monday 14th January for just £3.50, or download from Northern Star Records.

“accessible and joyously barbed pop songs” - UNCUT (debut of the month)
"an irresistible pop masterpiece" - DROWNED IN SOUND
“a beautiful and idiosyncratic pop album” - SUBBA-CULTCHA
Amazing cover of Dinosaur Jrs finest moment, slowed down and pumped full of mogadon" - NME
“recalls the likes of Slowdive and The Mary Chain at their most subtle and brutal” - CONTACTMUSIC
"sparkingly produced, beautifully written" - SOMEWERECOLD.COM
"beautiful, and sometimes sinister" - LEEDS GUIDE
"pure stratospheric fuzz-pop bliss" - SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM
“as dark as the most potent Velvet Underground” - DROWNED IN SOUND

Delta Mainline:

Delta Mainline create an original sound, leaning on influences ranging from rock ‘n’ roll, blues and psychedelia to country, folk and soul. With a multitude of instruments including guitars, bass, drums/percussion, cello, flute, theremin, Moog, Micro Korg, harmonica, organ and piano - the result is a trip, rock ‘n’ space-blues free for all.

Model Morning:
MODEL MORNING are Chris Moore, Peter Morley, Richard Davidson, Edmund Keenan and Robert McCleary. They play dark euphoric soundscapes blending elements of early 90s Shoegaze into three and a half-minute pop songs.

MODEL MORNING formed in early 2004 by ECHOBOY member Chris Moore. After a year of touring he decided that he wanted to form his own band and Model Morning was the outcome. Hiding themselves away from their surroundings they concentrated on forging a sound that would be unique and instantly recognized as MODEL MORNING.

Out of the early sessions was a six track demo entitled 'Your Worst Enemy', later to be described as a debut that,

"is without doubt one of the best debuts of the year. A masterpiece."

When the demo fell onto the desk of Robin Allport at CLUB AC30, a renowned shoegaze label whose track record resembles the early days of Creation Records, they called the band and immediately offered to release the EP in its entirety, no questions asked.

It was destined that MODEL MORNING would play their third gig in front of the man who was an almost sole inspiration for the bands birth when Creation Records founder and former Oasis manager ALAN MCGEE heard the demo and invited them to play at his Death Disco night in London. This was the beginning of the immediate impact of Your Worst Enemy would have

"With big-ups from the likes of Creation Records head honcho Alan McGee, it surely can't be long before Model Morning fulfil their destiny and start headlining some seriously huge festivals. Get there first, and don't forget to tell your friends"-Subba Cultcha

The EP was released on 10th July 2006 through CLUB AC30 and distributed to America, Japan and Europe. It went straight into TONEVENDERS (USA Distributors) TOP 20 and steadily started to gain airplay in American and Europe.

..."literally blows you away in a maelstrom of guitars. Expect the band to be name-checked soon by the so-called great and good" - Lost Music

2008 will see MODEL MORNING release a 3-track single consisting of their latest recordings, engineered and produced by Dan Knowles of AMUSEMENT PARKS ON FIRE. A 7" release is to follow of a remix of 'Without You I'm Lost' by ULRICH SCHNAUSS. MODEL MORNING will be playing throughout the UK during 2008.

Dogfight Revolution

Under a year ago ‘Dogfight Revolution’ emerged onto the Midlands music scene to project their spiralling drone rock sound onto a backdrop of eastern mystics and psychedelic influence. The four piece’s sound has evolved from a fusion of influences [Syd Barrett, Velvet Underground, Primal Scream, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Spacemen 3, 13th Floor Elevators, Jesus & Mary Chain, Verve] that have laid the foundation on which they have built their revolutionary sound. Guitars, drums and bass are joined by drone machine, theremin, synth, Indian percussion and flute. With lyrics that make a statement and a commitment to stamping a distinctive mark on today’s music scene by opening the door to a new territory, the DFR are ready to convert you…

Venue: The Flapper and Firkin, (Nr NIA)
Time: 8pm
Cost: £4
Links:
http://www.myspace.com/thisissoundofconfusion
http://www.myspace.com/insectguide
http://www.myspace.com/deltamainline
http://www.myspace.com/modelmorning
http://www.myspace.com/thedfr

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Coming Up ..... Saturday 21st June
Indie_New Wave_Beats

Chicks Dig Jerks are hosting a Free Beach Party!!

Venue: The Rainbow (Beach) Digbeth
Time: 8pm – 3pm
Cost: £FREE
Links: http://www.myspace.com/chicksdigjerks

Coming Up .....Friday 6th June
Experimental_Electronica_Multi-Media

Capsule in collaboration with Integra present a International Festival & Conference Fusing music and technology.

Line-up:
The Bays with John Metcalfe and live ensemble
+ BIT20 Ensemble (Chris McClelland)

festival runs from the 5th June - 7th June 2008
Integra, a 3-year project led by the Birmingham Conservatoire in the UK and part financed by Culture 2000. To develop a new software environment to make music with live electronics, modernising works that use old technology.
We are delighted that the closing Integra 2008 Festival & Conference will be held in Birmingham. Building on the work of the project, the Festival will bring to Birmingham the five participating ensembles for an unprecedented 3-day perspective on European live electronic music, with a special focus on mixed-media performances. The Conference aims to spark a discussion around technology and music bringing together artistic promoters and decision makers, researchers, composers and performers. It is a rare occasion to debate across different domains the challenges and opportunities new technologies bring to music, and how to solve the existing tensions between musicians and technology.

The Bays with John Metcalfe and live ensemble.
The Bays incorporate a classical ensemble into their improvisd electronic performance, using a unique system of real-time music scoring devised by The Bays and projected for the audience to see as well as hear.

The Bays do not believe in rules. The Bays do not make records. They do not rehearse or prepare their entirely improvised live performances. The style of their music ranges from ambient electronica to thundering Drum and Bass, touching all points in between. The four-piece group have taken this project all across the world, performing on massive international stages, in crowded and cramped club rooms, at outdoor festivals, in theatres and even boats. Each performance is new, each idea unprecedented, each appearance a particular adjustment to fit the demands of venue and crowd.

Now, in keeping with this philosophy of uncompromising evolution, for the Integra festival in Birmingham, The Bays have devised a unique system combining computer software and old-fashioned human communication to incorporate an orchestral ensemble. With a classical ensemble, and a team of guest composers led by John Metcalfe, The Bays will combine live electronica and classical ensemble playing in an entirely improvised performance.

Forget what you think "live music" actually means. This music will be created on the spot, in front of the audience, never to be played, heard or experienced the same way again
http://www.thebays.com/

BIT20 Ensemble
Live electronics: Chris McClelland, Sonic Arts Research Centre, Belfast
A musician-led ensemble from Bergen Norway will premier a new mixed-media work by Michele Tadini, commissioned specially for the festival, plus works by Schaathun and Hellstenius.
http://www.bit20ensemble.no/

Venue: SPACE 2 at the Custard Factory
Time: 7.30pm
Cost: £15
Links:
http://www.capsule.org.uk/
http://www.integralive.org/
http://www.myspace.com/thebayslive
http://www.bit20ensemble.no/

Coming Up .....Friday 6th June
Alternative_Blues_Acoustic_Rock

Platform Promotions present Anyone for Shark + Velvet Texas Cannonball + Wes Finch & The Dirty Band + Neil Ivison + Indie DJ’s in-between and after.

Wes Finch and the Dirty Band – The Hope and Anchor, Coventry – 3rd May 2008

Review by Paul Villers

Diamonds come from the most unlikely places. Deep down in the rock one must dig, delve and get dirty for that rarest of stones. Very, very occasionally however you just trip over one as if by accident and things begin to look up – multi faceted and catching the light in just the perfect way. Such is this writer’s discovery of the titular Mr. Finch and his dirty band. Deep in the heart of Coventry, around the corner and up the alley at The Hope and Anchor, there was a musical happening this weekend which restored one’s faith in hitting the motherlode of finely crafted, independent and YOUNG Americana influenced music. Under the auspices of the Sid Norris Organisation ( a local arts promotion concern) a number of talents took to the stage. All was good but imagine the surprise when the enthusiastic dancers in the audience supporting the other acts turned out to be the day’s highlight The Dirty Band. A precursor of things to come entertainment wise, obviously. The thing about rough diamonds is that they need polishing. Not too much but just the requisite amount to make them shine and sparkle. And this is where Wes and the band are at. They can play their instruments alright – accomplished but sufficiently care free to give the tunes the dirty edge. There’s a whole mix in there – the usual acoustic guitar, electric guitars, beautifully brushed drums, a lead guitarist playing bass and a stand in on lead guitar replacing an errant bassist. Add to that the banjo player, the backing vocalist playing djembe and kabbas, the extraordinarily bejewelled Brian Lea on gob iron and the female duettist exuberantly dancing her socks off. What’s not to like? In their tunes they reference plenty of Americana favourites (such as in ‘No Drama’ in which Annie is encouraged once more to ‘take a load off’ – hey, if you’re going to wear your influences on your sleeve you might as well reference the best) even covering The Kings of Leon in a Coventry-stylee - ‘Velvet Snow’ re-written with testosterone replaced by oestrogen. There’s plenty of original material on offer too – “The Pact” for example which deals with every artist’s nightmare about having a soul to sell. There’s more on offer in this nine number strong set too – unfortunately in order to hear it you must make contact with the band to acquire their self produced demo cd or – and here’s the exciting bit – wait a short while for their debut bona fide release.

Neil Ivison & The Misers is the much anticipated debut of former Seymour/The Fever/Shakedown frontman Neil Ivison.
The Shakedown conquered the midlands with melodic rock tunes and a raw live appeal and now Ivison has cast aside pretence and interwoven nuances of the past and the present into everyday musical and lyrical vulnerability.
This new project tastes the five flavours of country, rock, blues, funk, and pop underpinned with prominent, soulful guitars and elegantly simple arrangements.
Neil's voice, a fusion of whispered harmony, and growling rough tones, is rich, provocative and moody, his songs an insightful and engaging personal journey, reflective, heartfelt and beautifully paced.
For Britains very own Man In Black, Neil's latest is but the start of things to come for a young artist and fresh new talent already on the radar of major record labels.

Venue: The Cross, 147 Alcester Road, Moseley
Time: 8pm doors – Indie DJ’s till 1am
Cost: £4 adv - £5 on the door
Links:
http://www.myspace.com/platform_promotions
http://www.myspace.com/anyoneforshark
http://www.myspace.com/thevelvettexascannonball
http://www.myspace.com/wesfinchandthedirtyband
http://www.myspace.com/neilivisonmusic

Coming Up .....Friday 6th June
Rock_Indie_Alternative

444 Club present This Love Affair + All Your Peers + Rase + Laredo + Plastic Noise DJ’s

In main bar (FREE) Adam Adam & Dangerous Dave + Tom (Whyte Boots) + Chris (Chicks Dig Jerks)

THIS LOVE AFFAIR are: Lee Weston (singer/guitar), Jayme Tovey(drummer/backing vocals), Daniel Tovey (guitar/backing vocals) and Andrew La Touche (bass). The quartet formed in 2005 when Lee and Andrew’s, and Jayme and Daniel’s previous bands, ‘8 Days Late’ and ‘McAlister’, respectively, disbanded.

With a new name and bolstered new image courtesy of stylish photography from NME photographer Dean Chalkley, the band’s re-launch as ‘This Love Affair’ is in full swing.

Fresh from these new beginnings comes their stunning new EP, ‘For The Greater Good’, a collection of epic standing on the edge of the world sized pop gems, formulated amidst swirling guitars and ethereal vocals.

From the hard hitting, anthemic opener ‘Brothers & Sisters’, through to the EP’s brooding closer ‘Vultures’, the lyrical content of all four tracks displays the considered maturity of the band’s heroes, who they cite as ranging from Radiohead to Paul Simon.

Whilst a political conscience is evident in track ‘Brothers and Sisters’, it is not an angle the band peruse relentlessly, and it is a broader consideration for human relationships that is the overriding theme of the four tracks. ‘She’s My Enemy’ is a tongue in cheek account of a relationship’s intricacies and the penultimate track ‘Turn the Page’ is the embittered account of love lost.

RASE are an exciting new band born out of the midlands. A fantastic live band with great musicians and better songs, rase set high expectations and deliver.
2007 promises to be a big year for the lads, they are attracting management / label interest and have material for their second album ready to go.
Reactions to live performance have been overwhelming, rase are simply an awesome live band and well worth a look!

Laredo Reviews: The Sugarmill
"Headliners Laredo came on with a terrific energy. Playing with white-knuckled drive, they blasted the crowd with their punchy songs from the outset. Specialising in hard, feedback-squealing dirty rock, they exude a rare Hendrix-like raw sexuality, which, in this game, can only do them good. Vocalist/guitarist Rush, along with fellow-guitarist Kreg, bassist Alx (sic) and drummer Jose offered an unrelentingly exciting show, displaying a fine understanding of their chosen genre. Rock as it should be, in fact"
Review: The Barfly (Birmingham)
"Laredo… Straight up low down rock and roll. An alternative rock band with something to prove. Every gig see’s them thrashing their instruments, oozing energy from every pore, winning over audiences with their almost signature gritty distortion driven athems. Each member adds a unique quality to their distinctive live sound. Chris Rushton’s exceptional vocal ability enables him to thrash out tormented lines like ‘smile like you mean it’ whilst he and Tom Clegg hammer out eerily effected guitar riffs. This, being accompanied by a snare-drum tight rhythm section featuring Alex Day firing deep, stomach resonating bass lines to counterpoint Joe Gilligan’s syncopated and encapsulating primal drumming. Their passionate personalities combined with their shared grit and determination make them a force to reckoned with.".

Venue: The Rainbow, Digbeth
Time: 8pm – 4am
Cost: £4
Links:
http://www.myspace.com/kamikazeevents
http://www.myspace.com/thisloveaffaironline
http://www.myspace.com/allyourpeers
http://www.myspace.com/raseuk

http://www.myspace.com/laredouk

Coming Up.....Friday 6th June

New Wave_Punk_Indie_Alternative

Mirror! Mirror! Single Release Party with Mirror!Mirror! (Obviously!) + Bee Stung Lips + Calories + William + DJ sets from Chicks Dig Jerks & Ben & Ryan (Stop Scratching)

Venue: The Sunflower Lounge, 76 Smallbrook Queensway, B5 4EG

Time: 8pm - 1am

Cost: £4

Links:

http://www.myspace.com/chicksdigjerks

http://www.myspace.com/mirror

http://www.myspace.com/beestunglips1

http://www.myspace.com/caloriesband

http://www.myspace.com/williamtheband

Coming Up .....Friday 6th June
Indie_New Wave

Tropical Hotdog present Sunset Cinema Club + The Gravity Crisis + Ace Bushy Striptease + Sexy 80’s party DJ’s

Venue: The Island BAr, Digbeth
Time: 8.30pm – 2am
Cost: £3
Links:
http://www.myspace.com/sunsetcinemaclub
http://www.myspace.com/showagojira

Coming Up .....Friday 6th June
Club_Beats_Bass_Disco

Naked Lunch Warehouse Party with Raffertie + others
Includes Ice-Cream Van Soundsystem + Outside Beach

Venue: The Rainbow Warehouse, Adderly Street, Digbeth
Time: 9pm – 4am
Links:
http://www.myspace.com/nakedlunchbirmingham

Coming Up .....Saturday 31st May
Live_Electro_Bands




Vice/Fly53 Party with BURAKA SOM SISTERMA (live) + BUMBLEBEEZ (live) + MAPEI (live) + ZOMBIE DISCO SQUAD (DJ Set) + TAYO (DJ Set) Chicks Dig Jerks also Djing

Venue: The Rainbow, Digbeth
Time: 8pm – 2pm
Cost: FREE TO ALL UK STUDENTS! REGIESTER AT http://www.fly53tour.com/
(Check links for non-students or have a hunt around for that fake NUS card you had….just kidding!!
Links:
http://www.myspace.com/fly53tour
http://www.myspace.com/chicksdigjerks
http://www.myspace.com/Mapei
http://www.myspace.com/thebumblebeez

Coming Up .....Saturday 31st May
Blues_ Garage_ Country_ Rock_ Psychedelic



10 Lives present The Black Apples + The Ganders +The Solomons + Bugners Eye

The Black Apples: A 3 piece electric blues band, created in 2004 in an old disused pot bank with a ghost…. One door no windows and a concrete roof…. The walls are lined with black plastic and images of the past, the room is dark, cold and damp. The volume is loud fusing old with new…. The apples play when ever and where ever they are asked to play, from backstreet to Main Street, audiences large and small…. The songs are distorted blues maybe from a different time, maybe from a different place, or maybe just distorted…. As an apple is just an apple green, red or black…..

The Ganders: Think Dirty Heavy Blues Rock... that, whether you like it or not will have the hairs on your neck standing. Thunderous lows, screeching highs with belting vocals that will make every bit of you want to move. Shaking the foundations of Birmingham with a powerful, electric, energetic live performance... DEFINATELY makes The Ganders worth a look in.

THE SOLOMONS are a two-piece outfit who formed in the summer of 2006 around the squalid rehearsal rooms of the West Midlands. They tired of squandering their talent in numerous unfulfilling local groups and decided to go it alone playing their first love- bluesy, boozy rock & roll.

Musically pulling influence from out of tune ‘60’s garage, rhythm & blues, Phil Spector soul and the proto-punk pioneers, The Solomons howl the blues like their lives depend on it. JOHN PRESLEY wrestles his ’58 Hofner guitar, scattering layers of noise, drone and subtle delta picking over TOM BEVAN’S Moe Tucker meets John French rhythms.

Lyrically, The Solomons songs are known for portrayals of the seedy side of life with a penchant for stories of heartbreak, inebriation and teenage lust. These vignettes of the low life are delivered through Johns’ whisky soaked and nicotine stained snarl. It is no surprise then that The Solomons have been compared to Tom Waits and ‘Safe as Milk’ era Captain Beefheart by the press.

Having spent their formative years absorbing lo-fi garage and punk, The Solomons have a fiercely independent ethic to match their primal blues stomp, and a reputation as a formidable live act, culminating in headline slots in Birmingham as well as frequent gigs in Liverpool and London.

Bugners Eye: After attempting to emulate the bands that made the biggest impact on the nineties five lads became four, then three, stopped trying so hard and grew a set of knackers, resulting in a simplistic blues driven sound that will knock the froth off your pint.

Venue: The Flapper and Firkin (nr NIA)
Time: 8.30pm
Cost: £4
Links:
http://www.myspace.com/theblackapples
http://www.myspace.com/theganders
http://www.myspace.com/thesolomons
http://www.myspace.com/bugnerseyeband
www.myspace.com/10livesmusicvenue

Coming Up .....Saturday 31st May
Modern Indie_Electro Beats



Dirty Laundry is Birminghams FRESHEST Indie Night. On the last Saturday of Every Month at The Hare & Hounds Kings Heath, Dirty Laundry invites you to come get MUCKY! Listen the freshest Indie & Electro Beats mixed with the classics to give you many a eargasam and get you dropping foot like MJ. Dirty Laundry will also bring you The best new live bands from around the country supported by Birminghams finest talent.

Line-up: The Brascoes + Sabotage Left + Team Penetration (Drop Like Bombs)

Venue: The Hare and Hounds, High Street, Kings Heath
Time: 9pm
Cost: A few ££
Links:
http://www.myspace.com/dirtylaundryclub
http://www.myspace.com/teampenetration
http://www.myspace.com/thebrascoeshome

Coming Up .....Saturday 17th May
Electronica

Robot vs Dinosuar is back upstairs at Island Bar on Friday 16th May with live electronics from Datassette and Lone, plus the usual full-spectrum totaltronic DJ selection featuring the likes of aphex twin, autechre, battles, boards of canada, the books, broadcast, cylob, the flashbulb, four tet, germlin, holy fuck, hood, kid 606, matmos, max tundra, mouse on mars, polysics, the postal service, prefuse 73, squarepusher, stereolab, amon tobin, tortoise, venetian snares, luke vibert, xiu xiu, susumu yokota and whatever else we might have lurking about in our record collections...

Admission is £3, or £1 if dressed as a robot or a dinosaur! Doors open at 8:30. Free pin badge on entry! Full selection of cocktails available! Any requests? Drop them a comment! (link below)

Venue: The Island Bar, Suffolk Street Queensway, City Centre
Time: 8.30pm start
Cost: £3 in or £1 if dressed like a robot or a dinosaur

Links:
http://www.myspace.com/robotversusdinosaur
http://www.myspace.com/datassette

http://www.myspace.com/lonemusic

Coming Up .....Saturday 17th May

Global Psych_Freak Folk_Turf Surf_Kraut Schlock_Electronik Mud_Glam Jams

The Monthly B music nights has DJ’s Andy Votal + Dom Thomas + The Judge & Mac (Senseteria Katusi).

Live Magnetic music comes from Twinkranes (Dublins delayed response to Neu and The Silver Apples) + Seeland (Tim Felton / Billy Bainbridge)

Also Secret Cinema screen an undisclosed vintage freak film

Venue: The Hare and Hounds, High Street, Kings Heath
Time: 8pm – 2am
Cost: £5 on the door

Also on the night in the other room:
VIVA BRAZIL! Live Samba / Reggae Drummers & DJ's with Oya batucada

Check out this link for more information:
http://www.myspace.com/oyabatucada

Coming Up .....Saturday 17th May

Indie_Beats

Chicks Dig Jerks Club Party – Check the myspace for line-up (link below)

Venue: The Rainbow, Digbeth
Time: 9pm to 4am
Links:
http://www.myspace.com/chicksdigjerks

Coming Up .....Saturday 17th May

Punk_Hardcore_Metal

Rehab present The Fortunate + Redeye Militia + Serpion (As Hope Dies Tommorrow) + As Worlds Collide

Venue: The Black Horse
Time: 7pm - Midnight
Cost: FREE ENTRY

http://www.myspace.com/redeyemilitia1
www.myspace.com/hopediestomorrow
http://www.myspace.com/asworldscollide
http://www.myspace.com/thefortunatex

Coming Up .....Saturday 17th May
Indie_Rock_Punk

It's been one hell of a year for '10 lives' who invite you to celebrate with them on their first birthday at The Flapper.

To celebrate the line-up includes Dirty Soul who are launching a brand new ep only available at the gig, Gravity Crisis, Augustine, The Solomons and Ipkins

And if you've not seen or heard the bands here are what people are saying about them

Dirty Soul:
'DRUM SKINS AND GUITAR STRINGS AREN'T HIT, THEY'RE ATTACKED WITH THE CONTROLLED FEROCITY OF A PRIZED FIGHTER'- BBC. CO. UK
'SPINE-TINGLING' - THE FLY
'THE SOUNDTRACK TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND NERVOUS BREAKDOWNS' - MEDIA ASSASSIN
'EVERY MOVE,WORD AND RIFF IS BURSTING TO GET OUT'- POWPOWPOW

Gravity Crisis:
"Certainly the best demo to land on my desk this year"
Steve Lamacq - BBC6 Music
"Punchy, golden era indie choruses weave and then soar from a super heavyweight backing. TGC are a wrecking ball, riddled with pop hooks, that you'll want your face to be smashed in with over and over again"
THE FLY
"Like Graham Coxon if he'd been raised on Motorhead instead of the Kinks"
NME
"How the Midlands awakes! The Gravity Crisis will be in danger of kick starting an exciting scene. For once the NME hit the proverbial nail. Certainly this twin guitar four-piece fires along like a rock'n'roll McLusky or English and artrock Pixies. Perhaps a tad more straight ahead (but also hooky) than the post-punk from Leeds and the North East (Forward Russia and Dartz!) but equally abrasive and flat-out. No releases to date but lets hope Artrocker Club dates help change all that ! I'd almost be tempted to mention 'old school' ... as in Detroit Garage Rock, Scandinavian art-punk (International Noise Conspiracy stylee) and UK punk-pop (Mega City 4) - any way it's full-throttle.
ARTROCKER MAGAZINE
"An epidemic in the waiting"
MEDIA ASSASSIN

Augustine:
"Augustine are one of the most spine-tingling, wonderful bands on the Birmingham circuit at the minute... Unmissable."
Emma Lilley / The Fly
"A band to look out for are Augustine – they should have a hit with their very catchy synth-rock Emergency Song."
Ciarán Ryan / bbc. co. uk
"They were my band of the night, and in my opinion a band that will be a household name in a year or so. That good! If you see them on a gig line up, go to this gig!"
Tom Glibbery / Last. FM /
"The squat Flapper & Firkin is pretty packed tonight and the bill lives up to the anticipation. Augustine hit us with a chiming, swaggering fop-pop that has a close-shaved spikiness."
Jenny Gilroy / Skif

Heres what they say about Ipkins
"A lovely lad' - Sammy's Mum

It's all for a measly £4 and they're sure the lovely gaffers at the flapper might throw a cheeky vodka shot on entry to the gig, so it probably works out at £2.80 for 5 fantastic bands, can't argue with that.

The first band will be onstage at 8pm and not to be missed, so get there early.

Venue: Flapper and Firkin, City Centre (Nr NIA)

Time: First band 8pm

Cost: £4

Links:

www.myspace.com/dirtysoultheband
www.myspace.com/thegravitycrisis
www.myspace.com/augustinemademecry
www.myspace.com/thesolomons
www.myspace.com/ipkins

Coming Up On.....Sunday 11th May
Indie_New Wave_Electro_Alternative



Chicks Dig Jerks present Hott Date who are celebrating their 1st Birthday this Sunday. Guest DJ’s are Riotous Rockers + plus there’s loads of DJ’s from Birmingham’s Electro, Indie, New Wave & Alternative nights including Adam Adam + Chicks Dig Jerks + Chris & Jonny + Coldrice + Scott Bleepz + Mosco Disco + Naked Lunch + Pizza Static + Death at the Disco + New Scotland Yard + Trashorama + Bang! Bang!

Venue: The Rainbow, Digbeth
Time: Midday - Midnight



Links:
www.myspace.com/hott_date

Coming Up On.....Thursday 10th April

Indie_Electro_Random

Jim of Chicks Dig Jerks will be DJing at Sunflower Lounge (near New Street Station in the City Centre.) Starts at 8pm start.

Coming Up On.....Sunday 13th April

Birmingham Bands Special!!!

What a line-up Hott Date have got together here, seems like most of the Midlands best indie, new wave, post punk and rock bands are all playing on the same bill. If you need convincing check out 'Our Bipolar Friends' on Johnny Foreigners myspace, 'Rapunzel' on Sunset Cinema Clubs myspace and 'Wolf Gang Bang' on the Mirror! Mirror! myspace. In between the bands are some of Birmingham's DJ's mixing up Indie, Alternative and Electro tunes.

It's only £5, starts a 3pm and is at the Rainbow, Digbeth.

Coming Up On.....Saturday 22nd March

Hijack @ Panic! CDJing the tunes at this Indie, Rock, Nu Wave, No Wave night are Chicks Dig Jerks, Pizza Static and New Scotland Yard. It's all at the Q Club starts around 9pm.

Address:
The Q Club,
212 Corporation Street,
Birmingham
B4 6QB